VISAKHAPATNAM: Vasireddy Padma, chairperson of the Andhra Pradesh Mahila Commission, responded strongly to the remarks made by TDP leader Ashok Gajapathi Raju's on Sanchaita Gajapathi, stating that discrimination against women was regressive.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, she questioned the TDP leader as to whether he was ready for a debate on the Maharaja Alak Narayana Society of Arts and Science (MANSAS) trust Bylaws. Former MANAS Trust chairperson Sanchaita Gajapati approached the Women's Commission at Visakhapatnam and filed a complaint about the injustice meted out to her. She stated in her complaint that not only had Ashok Gajapathi Raju made derogatory remarks about her appointment as the Trust chairperson, he also spoke about her successorship in a demeaning manner.

Responding to Ashok Gajapathi’s remarks Vasireddy Padma said that he was behaving in an autocratic manner and that the MANAS trust By-laws should be reviewed once again. Was Ashok Gajapathi ready for a debate over Sanchaita’s issue, she challenged.

Speaking further Vasireddy Padma said that Sanchaita was the first woman chairperson of the prestigious MANAS Trust. There has been an attempt to make her step down from her chair and it is most unfortunate that they are celebrating this issue, she fired. The argument that women are to be bereft of power doesn’t hold well in the modern era. Even the Supreme Court overturned the Central government's decision not to allow women in the defense sector and clearly ruled that they should be included in the quota under the defense sector as well. Gender discrimination is a crime under the Constitution of India and any argument that says women have no power will not be tolerated, she said sternly. The Chairperson said that women's rights have been infringed under the MANAS Trust issue under the garb of monarchy.

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Women have been given importance after Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy took over. It is known that 50 percent reservation was accorded to women in every post and sector. In this situation how can the TDP leader shrug it off and say that a woman is not entitled to be the head of the MANAS Trust.Is this their respect for women, and what signals are the leaders giving making such statements she asked.

The Andhra Pradesh High Court last month canceled the appointment of Sanchaita Gajapathi as the chairperson of the Simhachalam Devasthanam and MANAS trust stating that only elders should be the trustees.

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